Domesticated animal pets are a popular member of many households. Such animals are reliant upon their human caretakers for their basic needs. Among these needs are hygienic needs such as frequent bathing. The process of bathing common pets such as cats, dogs, and the like provides health benefits, prevents unwanted odors, and contributes to the overall appearance of the animal.
Many conventional methods of bathing animals are inconvenient in one (1) or more significant ways. Washing pets in common bath tubs can lead to smell or dirty tubs, difficult reaching for the caretaker, and uncomfortable brushing for the animal. Attempting to wash a pet outdoors is difficult and unpredictable, and leaves the animals prone to further dirtying. Utilizing other indoor water sources such as sinks can lead to clogged drains and the like. Taking the pet to a salon or otherwise hiring another individual to maintain the pet's appearance can result in very significant costs over the lifetime of the pet.
Various attempts have been made to provide apparatuses to aid in the household washing of a pet. Examples of these attempts can be seen by reference to several U.S. patents. U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,257, issued in the name of Temby, describes a pet washing and grooming apparatus. The Temby apparatus consists of a small tub with a flexible, transparent upper casing which allows a user to see and manipulate the pet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,252, issued in the name of Brandolino, describes a pet bath apparatus. The Brandolino apparatus includes sloped floors and filters in order to carry and catch pet hair and the like during the bathing process.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,688,257, issued in the name of Lee, describes a pet dog washing apparatus. The Lee apparatus includes a plurality of sensors adapted to detect the presence of an animal, their proximity, and the like in order to provide automated bathing features.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives, each of these references suffer from one (1) or more of the aforementioned disadvantages. Many such apparatuses are not adaptable to work with common household water sources such as sink faucets and the like. Also, many such apparatuses do not provide capabilities for drying the pet after bathing. Furthermore, many such apparatuses do not allow the user a great amount of control during the bathing process. In addition, many such apparatuses do not provide height adjustment means in order to comfortable receive pets of different heights or sizes. Finally, many such apparatuses do not provide a plurality of spray portions which provide a comfortable and even wash to a pet. Accordingly, there exists a need for a pet cleaning and drying device without the disadvantages as described above. The development of the present invention substantially departs from the conventional solutions and in doing so fulfills this need.